In a world full of examples of modern construction, Christian hoover believes that the best learning environment for its concrete design and structures courses is the built environment.

Hoover, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, taught in the Ira A. Fulton Engineering Schools during the last seven semesters. He incorporates Arizona State University’s Tempe campus itself into his lectures to break down barriers between classroom and real-world concepts.

Christian Hoover, assistant professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, believes education should be student-centered. His courses in concrete design and structures as well as his NSF-funded research on energy dissipation in glass provide students with an immersive environment to learn about the design process in construction and gain valuable insight. on industry experiences. Photo by Erika Gronek / ASU
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Hoover’s passion for teaching dates back to when he was a student. Growing up, he had several teachers who seemed unreachable. He uses these experiences as examples of what he does not want to repeat in his own teaching.

“I try to think back to the things I didn’t like when I was in school, and I’m trying to improve myself,” Hoover said. “I found myself thinking about this even when I was in elementary school and middle school, so I felt like it was my calling.”

Drawing on both positive and negative experiences from his own education, Hoover shaped his teaching style to be a combination of active learning and collaborative efforts between instructor and students, and he has taken a student-centered approach to helping his students thrive. both inside and outside the classroom.

“I really enjoyed the experiences where I felt the teacher was more on par with the students,” Hoover said. “I love having open conversations with my students and I love making the connection between what we talk about in the course and the things they may experience in their world. “

Drawing on extensive industry experience having worked on high-rise building design and inspections with the AXIS Design Group, Hoover urges its students to consider all entities when designing the built environment, such as material costs and durability. He shares his experiences with his classes in the hope of preparing them for college-level courses or work in industry.

Another crucial aspect of the educational experience in Hoover’s classroom is the active participation and feedback of his students.

“In most cases, I liked to stick to the traditional format of lectures. But since I came to ASU, I’ve been exposed to more and more active learning and flipped classroom methodologies, which weren’t really popular when I was in school, ”he said. Hoover said. “So I incorporated more of these techniques, like ‘think-pair-share,’ where you ask a question and have students pair up and think about the problem. “

Hoover’s goal in all of his classes is to “demystify the role of instructor” and connect with his students by talking about his own experiences. He also links the content of his courses to examples that can be seen on the ASU campus.

“One of the great things about ASU is that we have a large collection of healthy construction and engineering examples happening around us every day. So it’s very easy to tie what we talk about in class to what’s happening on campus or even around Phoenix, ”Hoover said. “I will say to my students, ‘Take a look at ISTB7 (the interdisciplinary science and technology building 7 currently under construction on the Tempe campus of ASU). That’s what’s happening on campus, and that’s also what we’re covering in conference today. ‘”

Nathan Freeman, a recent civil engineering graduate, is just a student who was influenced by Hoover’s teaching.

“I was challenged in Dr. Hoover’s class of reinforced concrete structures,” Freeman said. “However, this challenge was made easier by Dr. Hoover’s teaching style. He scheduled extra office hours whenever I asked and was honestly interested in any hardworking student who asked for help.

According to Freeman, Hoover’s teaching philosophy was ultimately student-centered, which made all the difference in his college experience.

As a non-traditional student with a dependent family, Freeman often found himself unable to start his homework until late at night. But when he had questions, Hoover was always there to help and meet his needs.

“Dr. Hoover made it clear that he was invested in our success,” Freeman said. “There were times I emailed Dr. Hoover about a 10pm assignment on a Sunday, and he would respond. at midnight. Sometimes I had to hand in my homework until I could cook dinner for my family, wash the dishes and put everyone to bed. Having a teacher caring enough to help me in the wee hours of the morning is good. rare.

Part of Hoover’s teaching philosophy is to create a collaborative environment where instructor and students can help enhance the educational experience on both sides.

“Personally, I took issue with the digital organization of the course through Canvas (ASU’s e-learning management platform) and suggested a reorganization of the online material,” said Freeman. “Not only was Dr. Hoover receptive, he made the changes in one class period. “

Hoover students take comfort in knowing they are being heard. When students described having difficulty solving problems on their own, he developed a solution to help students keep track of problems solved in class.

“It takes an unusual degree of humility and courage to ask for feedback from the class,” Freeman said, “but it takes passion to get back into your office and make those changes before the next conference. “

Hoover continues to develop and enhance her teaching skills through Community of Practice Meetings, a monthly meeting where instructors from the School of Sustainability and the Built Environment discuss new teaching techniques and how to incorporate them. . Through these and regular meetings with his teacher mentors at ASU, Hoover continues to develop as an instructor, leveraging all of the instructor development resources the university has to offer.